Eternal bonds
by ishiwa kon
Summary: Minato died in order to seal Nyx. He sacrificed his life to become the Great Seal, to become a barrier between Nyx and Erebus, the manifestation of humanity's negative will and grief. He fulfilled his promise with his friends. Everything was over. But, after forging countless and precious bonds with others, he, for the first time in a long time, felt lonely. (Hiatus)
1. Chapter 1

**Eternal Bonds.**

**Summary**: Minato died in order to seal Nyx. He sacrificed his life to become the Great Seal, to become a barrier between Nyx and Erebus, the manifestation of humanity's negative will and grief. He fulfilled his promise with his friends. Everything was over. But, after forging countless and precious bonds with others, he, for the first time in a long time, felt lonely

**Warning: Contain spoilers. **

**I do not own Persona 3**

**The picture is not mine, credits to the original owner**

**EDIT: Tweaked the story a bit. There's some major changes, so it's advisable to read it again.**

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><p>A large golden door with eyes all over its surface stood in a place where human's consciousness was connected, the sea of soul. The eyes moved rapidly as if it was trying to see something in that endless darkness. A small human sized statue with arms spread hung in the middle of the door. It was hanging merely by the small chains attached to the door. The statue, evidently a male, held a slight melancholy in its expression. It was the guardian of that door.<p>

Golden trails of unidentified substance similar to those of sands' surrounded the door. It circled around the door like a protective barrier, although it could do nothing of the sort. However, the golden substance did a remarkable job of shining in dark, making the door appear almost bright and majestic.

The deafening silence was disturbed when out of nowhere a large quantity of black liquid began to appear near the door. The liquid gradually began to take shape. It took the form of a large dual faced monster resembling that of a goats'. The creature, Erebus, reached towards the statue. It stated to claw and pull at the human shaped stone. Its effort was in vain as the statue did not budge.

Erebus growled, the sound echoing throughout the place. It kept its effort in trying to remove the statue, the seal, which was blocking its way to the Great Being behind the door. However, it stopped its movement when it sensed something.

"Veeelvet, oh velvet. " A beautiful young woman sang.

The woman stared at the enormous creature with her bright yellow eyes. She wore a blue hat and held a thick leather bound compendium. The blue dress that she wore swayed slightly at her movements. The woman oozed power from her very being, making it clear that she was not someone to be trifled with.

_**"…Elizabeth…"**_

"My maaaster has a laaarge nose…" Elizabeth sang the rest of the song. The woman then smiled at creature in front of her. Even though Erebus was ten times bigger than her, the white haired woman appeared completely relaxed and unafraid.

Erebus seemed to sense the woman's power and it growled at her. It tensed up and waited for the right moment to attack. When the woman sighed at it, the creature got the impression that it was the right time to attack. It growled loudly and lunged at the woman with such ferocity that the ground shook.

"My, what an ugly little thing you are." She said and sidestepped the attack. Then, with her surprisingly enormous strength, she flipped the creature. The creature howled in agony. Seeing that the creature was distracted, she opened her book. A large magic circle appeared in the air. It shined brightly and when the glow subsided, Elizabeth and Erebus was nowhere to be seen.

A few moments passed by before another magic circle appeared. This time, the only being that had been transported was Elizabeth. She closed the compendium and the circle vanished. She glanced at the area and smile, seemingly satisfied.

"Changing the scenery without doubt is the correct idea. I certainly cannot damage the sea of everyone's soul by fighting that foul creature here." She nodded to herself. Then, her expression became troubled and she sighed again.

"That foul thing will surely resurrect within the year again." Elizabeth whispered.

The white haired woman looked up and stared at the large golden door in front of her. Her attention however, was focused on the statue that hung in the middle of the door. She smiled sadly.

"It's been awhile." She paused as if she was unsure what to say next.

"…I am no longer a resident of Velvet room. I left my post in order to see through a desire of mine. I am searching for a way to free a special soul. A way to free _you_" She said.

"My sister, Margaret, will take on my role as Master's assistant until this quest of mine is fulfilled. She's very reliable. Furthermore, her strength is nothing to laugh at. Even I have difficulties fighting her!" Elizabeth laughed quietly as she remembered the fight before her leaving of velvet room.

'…I shouldn't remain here any longer without any objective, after all I'm not a resident of this place._'_ The once resident of Velvet room thought. She gazed at that single statue that hung in the middle of that golden door.

"I may not know the way to accomplish my goal now but I will surely find it. I promise you that."She said at last, her bright yellow eyes narrowed in determination. Then, she relaxed and allowed a small smile to play at her lips.

"I'll be taking my leave now, _Minato_."

_**"…Farewell…"**_

Elizabeth turned and walked away from the door. She opened her book and a large magic circle appeared again. She stepped through the glowing circle. It then disappeared and the place went back to its original deafening silence.

* * *

><p>Everything was blurry. It was hard to concentrate. It felt as if something was blocking his senses. He tried to focus on his surroundings. But, black edges began to appear from each corners of his vision as soon as he tried. He attempted to shake his head to clear the black edges, but found himself unable to move. It quickly got worse, the black tendrils crept closer and closer, almost covering his vision with black. Before losing consciousness, he dimly heard something.<p>

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When he regained consciousness, he felt slightly dazed. Furthermore, he felt really odd, as if he was in a dream and yet at the same time it felt like reality. 'Did that even make any sense?' He thought absentmindedly. His head suddenly throbbed painfully. It was hard to think so he tried not to think. He closed my eyes and took a deep breath, hoping that it would at least lessen the pain. It surprisingly worked. With that gone, he felt unexpectedly tired and without him realizing it, he soon fell asleep.

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This time when he woke up, he felt surprisingly more aware. Feeling calmer than he should be, he glanced around the area and was slightly surprised by the endless darkness that he saw. Wondering if he had somehow became blind, he glanced at his hands. He breathed a sigh of relief when he saw them. Soon he realized however that those hands of his were really pale and appeared to be glowing?

"This is strange."He mumbled.

Upon hearing his own voice, he was taken aback. When did his voice turn like that? His voice…It sounded ethereal. Unearthly. Otherworldly. He didn't let himself dwell too much on it however. Instead he tried to remember what happened. But somehow, he found it hard. Nothing came to mind. It was as if his memories were blocked. He tried harder and a single word form in his mind, _'Persona'_. A sudden wave of sleepiness hit him and he found his eyes drooping. Not long after that, he was asleep.

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He woke up a few times after that, each time becoming more and more lucid until he was fully alert. He never tried to find a way out of the place since somehow deep inside him, he knew that it would be useless. Even so, he felt insecure with how little he remembered. So, he devoted himself to remembering, perhaps that may solve his dilemma and answer his questions. Through sheer determination, he managed to collect fragment upon fragment of his memories. But even those were still too random for him to understand. He just couldn't connect them at all!

He sighed and flopped down on the dark surface, sitting cross-legged. The darkness didn't bother him much anymore and after staring at the never ending darkness for awhile, he had become used to it. Was that a good thing or a bad thing? Well, he didn't know and have no intention of knowing. Almost like a routine now, he closed his eyes and concentrated to remember at least a little before that _thing _arrived, the thing that makes him all sleepy and sometimes dazed.

It was always particularly hard to remember. Each time, something would block him and try to keep him out but he would manage to slip through it. With no little amount of surprise, he reached to the deepest part of his memories, something that had never happened before since he would always fall unconscious before it could happen. Knowing that there may not be another chance, he reached deeper and deeper. Upon reaching the end, a word flowed into his mind.

'_THE GREAT SEAL'_

As if Pandora box was opened, immeasurable amount of memories began to flow into him, drowning him in seas of memories. He clutched his head, his breathing became shallow. A few drops of sweat rolled down from this forehead.

"Ugh." He groaned.

The feeling gradually faded away until he couldn't feel anything. It seemed like eternity before, his breathing returned to normal and opening his eyes became much easier. Widening those eyes slowly beneath his bangs and he gazed at the darkness in front of him with dawning comprehension.

"I remember now." He whispered.

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Ever since then he never slept, simply because he never had the urge. The _thing_ never hit him after that. He figured that the wave of sleepiness was simply one of the methods to prevent him from remembering. Just like the thing that blocked him. Now that he remembered almost everything, that defense mechanism simply ceased to function. Unfortunately, he never figured out why it wanted to prevent him from remembering. He never gave it much thought to be honest since it didn't matter much and in the end he remembered.

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Time slowly passed.

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He sat with his head between his knees in the darkness. He had his hands on his chest and his expression unreadable. His chest hurt for some reason but it was not caused by anything physical, he knew that at least. So what was this emotion he's feeling? It felt …nostalgic.

'But why does it hurt so much?' he thought.

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.

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The emotion he's feeling, could it be…?

'But that's not possible!' He furiously thought. It couldn't be! It just can't be that emotion! He can't be feeling this, that's just not-!

He took a shaky breath, trying to calm himself down. That was weird, how could the mere idea of feeling that emotion made him lose his temper. He rarely lost his temper and besides, he was used to feeling it. At that thought, he grimaced.

No matter how many times he denied it, he knew it would not change.

The bonds he made during that year made him forgot the emotion called loneliness.

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A slight presence in the darkness made him lift his head from its position on his knees and he glanced around the area. Even though he could sense it, he couldn't see anything in the sea of darkness. He stood up cautiously, and he narrowed his eyes when he felt that presence getting stronger and stronger. When he felt it getting closer to him, he tensed up.

Suddenly, an invisible force slammed into him knocking him onto the ground. He coughed and tried to stand up but the invisible force pinned him to the ground. He struggled against the grip but it was pointless. He stilled when he heard a growl and that growl…seemed to come from in front of him? But there was nothing there! In the corner of his mind, he wondered if he finally snapped from all that time alone.

At that moment, he sensed another presence. A presence that seemed very familiar.

"…Elizabeth…" He breathed out in realization.

After that he felt the grip around him disappeared. He took this chance to stand up and then he focused on the presences. However, they were no longer there. He frowned, wondering if all of these was his mind was playing a trick on him. However, that doesn't explain the pain and supposedly Elizabeth's presence.

After a moment, he felt a presence returning. It was the presence similar to Elizabeth's. But he was still doubtful. Were the things that were happening real or just a figment of his imagination? He sincerely hoped it was the former.

"_It's been awhile."_

He widened his eyes and inhaled sharply. That's her voice! He stood motionlessly as he listened to her next words.

"…_I am no longer a resident of Velvet room. I left my post in order to see through a desire of mine. I am searching for a way to free a special soul. A way to free you."_

He lowered his head with his bangs covering his eyes. He closed his eyes, 'You know that it's impossible, if I'm free so will Nyx.'

"_My sister, Margaret, will take on my role as Master's assistant until this quest of mine is fulfilled. She's very reliable. Furthermore, her strength is nothing to laugh at. Even I have difficulties fighting her!"_

He smiled slightly.

"_I may not know the way to accomplish my goal now but I will surely find it. I promise you that."_

He opened his eyes and stared at the darkness in front of him, his expression devoid of any emotion.

"_I'll be taking my leave now, __**Minato**__."_

It had been so long since someone said his name. And it had been even longer since he heard someone else's voice. He didn't want her to leave. But, no matter how much he wanted it, he knew it wouldn't be possible.

"…Farewell…"

And he was alone again.

* * *

><p>The mist appeared out of nowhere. In that darkness, it twirled around uselessly, seemingly insignificant with its current state. However, bit by bit it started to shift. The shifting went so slowly that one would assume it would never finish what it had wanted to do. Nevertheless, it was not impossible.<p>

After some time, the mist had turned into a shape resembling that of a human's. Inside the shape, something seemed to grow. It grew faster this time. Within minutes, the shape that originally was a mist, became a being.

Minato, who had not been paying attention to his surrounding, snapped his head up when he felt a slight pressure to his right. He turned his head and narrowed his eyes. Something was walking towards his direction. Upon closer inspection, the being, he realized, seemed to be waving at him? Imagining the worse, he immediately tensed up.

"MINATO-KUN!" It shouted happily, when he came into hearing range.

He heard that voice before. It couldn't be who he's thinking, could it?

"Ryoji?" he said in disbelief.

Ryoji came to a halt in front of Minato. He grinned at the blue haired teen but upon noticing the suspicion in those eyes, it turned into a nervous smile. Was there something wrong with his appearance? He looked down and deemed nothing was wrong.

"Is there something wrong, Minato-kun?" He asked and tried to reach for Minato. He widened his eyes in surprise when the latter took a step back.

"Who are you?" Minato's voice was as cold as ice.

"Don't you recognize me? I'm Ryoji!" The avatar of Nyx felt a twinge of pain in his chest. They had been friends, even if it was just a little while. Was their short but wonderful friendship so insignificant to the teen that it was easily forgotten? His heart sank.

"Stop lying!" Minato growled, "You couldn't be him. The real Ryoji is currently sealed. He couldn't be here!"

Ryoji blinked and then chuckled. Oh, it was all just a misunderstanding, both on his and Minato's part. Why did he even doubt his friend? What was he thinking? He smiled while wiping his tears of mirth.

"There's an explanation! Stop giving me that look Minato-kun! I am Ryoji. I am here for a reason and… you still don't believe me, do you? What should I do for you to believe me? "

"…"

"Stop giving me that look! Well, if I tell you the things that only we know, will you believe me? I used to be called Pharos and I was trapped in your body for 10 year before-"

Ryoji's explanation was interrupted when Minato grabbed his wrists and pulled him into a tight hug. Ryoji froze for a second in surprise before gently patting Minato on the back, all while smiling. After a few seconds, the blue haired teen pulled back, letting go of his grasp on the other's wrist. Ryoji didn't mention the fact that his friend's eyes seemed suspiciously wet.

"It really is you, Ryoji. I thought we'd never meet again," Minato whispered as different kinds of emotions raced through him, mainly happiness and confusion with no small amount of dread. Minato was no fool, he knew something was wrong.

"That's what I've been trying to say from the start." Ryoji pouted.

"But how?" he asked.

"Before that, y-you're looking kinda pale there, Minato-kun…" Ryoji trailed off uncertainly.

"Ryoji," Minato said, "You're outside the seal." As the seriousness of the situation seemed to sink in, the teen could feel dread rising and he struggled to breathe. He tried to calm down but found it to be futile. Possibilities of what might have happened swirled around his head.

"That's because-," Ryoji stopped when he noticed his friend's face turning paler and paler. With growing realization, he grabbed Minato's arms and shook him.

"Minato-kun, breathe! Nothing happened to the seal!" The avatar of Nyx yelled in fright.

That got Minato's attention and he finally gasped, taking in big gulps of air. Feeling his panic subsiding, he looked at Ryoji, his gaze was questioning.

"Right now, what you are seeing is just my essence; my real body is behind the door safely sealed away." Ryoji explained slowly, "This space is connected to where I was sealed and thus enabling me to come here."

Minato nodded at the explanation. However, there was something that bothered him in that explanation.

"Why are you here in your essence then?"

Ryoji frowned, his eyebrows furrowed. He seemed to be thinking about the question and Minato waited patiently. After a moment, Ryoji titled his head slightly; his expression was of puzzlement. The blue hair teen raised an eyebrow at the expression.

"You're not hurt are you?"

"No. Why do you ask that?" The blue haired teen hadn't been hurt with the exception of one time when he was knocked down by the invisible force. Even that didn't hurt much.

"To be honest, I'm not supposed to be here or awake at all. The seal not only confined me, it also forced me into a slumber."

"But you're awake now."

"Exactly my thoughts, I assumed something happened to you so I came here to check. But nothing seemed to be amiss. So what disturbed the sleep?"

They both fell silent, each deep in thoughts. Something had managed to disturb the sleeping essence of Nyx, slipping past the Seal's defenses. This was no laughing matter. Whatever this was, they had to eliminate it before it become really difficult. However, no matter how much Minato tried to think about it, no explanation or solution came into his mind. Maybe he's thinking this in a wrong way.

What if, the problem didn't come from outside but actually from the inside? It's not for certain yet; nevertheless, it was still a possibility as much as he wanted to deny it. If it was coming from the inside then there were two possibilities of where it was coming from. Ryoji and himself.

It couldn't be Ryoji. That he was sure. Otherwise, why would he come to notify the blue haired teen?

All that's left was him, the Seal itself. He hadn't felt any different since he woken up. Sure, there had been a few headaches but nothing too bad. The thing that had slammed him hadn't left permanent damage either. Even right now, he couldn't feel much difference. Minato blinked slowly and touched his chest. There had been a slight difference since he woken up, he realized. He had forgotten about that. There had been a reason on why he forgotten that as he looked at Ryoji.

In the corner of his mind, he wondered if this emotion could've anything to do with Ryoji's awakening. The guardian of the seal decided to mention this. After all, it may be important. Anything, even trivial things might be useful.

"Ryoji, there's this thing I've been feeling for awhile now." Minato started, drawing Ryoji's attention to him.

"What is it, Minato-kun?"

Usually, it would've been embarrassing for him to admit it to other people. But, the past year had been a big change for him, not to mention Ryoji was different. He had been with Minato for ten years (even if he had only properly met him for a year), there was this feeling of trust that seemed natural. Even when he first met him as Pharos, there had been this feeling that pushed him to sign that contract. Otherwise, why should he sign something given to him by a creepy kid wearing prison clothes?

"Ever since I woken up, this emotion kept plaguing me. I've been feeling…"Minato paused, "lonely."

Ryoji stared at him in surprised expression. He was no stranger to loneliness himself, so he could sympathize with the blue haired teen. However, hearing that sentence triggered something in his memory.

"OH, THAT'S IT! I understand now!"Ryoji shouted suddenly. Minato jumped in shock, looking at him in surprise.

"The seal's power, in other words your resolve, is affected by emotions or at least a part of it!" Ryoji explained quickly.

"Then that means…"Minato whispered. It was true, he realized. His emotions had played a big part. He remembered many of them. He had been determined to protect his dear ones. The sadness when Ryoji vanished. He had been fearless while facing Nyx and so much more.

"While positive emotions help you, Negative emotions do the opposite thing! That must be the reason why I'm awake, I'm sure of it! But that also means that the seal is weakening…"

From the beginning, all of this had been his entire fault. It was his fault that the seal was weakening. It was his fault for the awakening of Ryoji's slumber and for almost endangering his friends. For a second, Minato could feel despair washing through him. He couldn't wallow up in self pity. He knew better than that. If there was something wrong then you fix it.

"But you're here now with me, aren't you?" Minato asked as he looked at Ryoji.

"Well, I'm still here. It's just a guess, but that emotion of yours probably needs something more than just me, probably," Ryoji pondered while stroking his chin.

"…" Minato clenched his hands. What was he doing? If only he wasn't so weak.

"I know what you're thinking Minato-kun and you'd better stop now. We can solve this together. C'mon, let's just think ok? With your smart brain and my creativity, I'm sure we'll find a solution!" The avatar of Nyx grinned.

Minato snorted but nodded nonetheless. They needed to stop the seal from weakening and to do that they need to get rid of his loneliness. However, if even Ryoji can't get rid of it, who can?

_His friends._

They needed them in order to find a solution to the problem. The question was how. He was only a soul right now, his body either been buried deep underneath the earth or burned. He couldn't just appear in front of them and expect them to see him, well maybe Koromaru could. Either way that plan was flawed in every single way. He couldn't just barge into their lives when they had (hopefully) moved on. In addition, he couldn't even leave in the first place.

"Minato-kun…"

"Have you found a solution?"

"Well, I have something in mind, but I'm not sure whether you'll like it or not." Ryoji's voice sounded hesitant.

"Tell me."

"Since I couldn't think of a way for you to meet your friends in this _world_, maybe we should try our luck in the others?" Ryoji suggested meekly.

The gears in Minato's mind started to work at the implication. As he stared at Ryoji, the avatar seemed to shrink in every second. Finally, it clicked.

"Do you mean Parallel worlds?" he said in shock.

"Is that what you call it?"

"It really exists?" Minato had read books about them but all of them had only been theories.

"Does that mean you disapprove?" Ryoji looked down.

"I'm just surprised. But Ryoji, what about the door? And how are we going to get there in the first place?"

"Don't worry about a thing, my dear friend!"The black haired teen exclaimed.

"If you say so…"

"Everything will going to be fine, just trust me! After all, this is for the sake of the world!"

"You owe me an explanation," Minato muttered.

Ryoji gave a smile.

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><p><strong>Author's note: <strong>Whoop! Finally finished! Haha, this is longer than what I had originally wanted. I always loved Persona 3 and I always wanted a fanfic about it! So I did! I hope to answer some more questions in the next chapter

**Special thanks to Ulquii-sama! **Thank you for your suggestions and constants motivating! Hope you post your fic soon!

**And last but not least, please leave a review when you're done! Like all other authors out there, reviews are our fuel! **


	2. Chapter 2

**Eternal Bonds**

**Chapter 2**

**EDIT: Fixed some things that were bothering me. **

As Minato began to regain consciousness, he found himself feeling surprisingly weak. The material he was laying on was soft against his skin. He tried to move but found himself unable to. He then realized he was wrapped tightly in the same material he was laying on thus making him unable to move. Feeling a bit startled with that revelation, he titled his head to see his surroundings. The color of white immediately assaulted his sight, blinding him momentarily. Opening his eyes slowly, he took in the sight of white walls and ceiling. There was also a constant beeping sound somewhere to his left.

'Is this a…hospital?' He thought.

Minato tried to make a sound but instead he managed a yawn. He felt so, so tired. His eyelids started to feel heavy and he yawned again. He really shouldn't sleep in this unfamiliar place. This might be dangerous. However, he was unable to resist the temptation and soon fell into a dreamless sleep.

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><p>"<em>Wake up, wake up Minato-chan."<em>

"_Why won't you wake up?"_

"_C-mon, Open your eyes little brother."_

Minato stirred and his eyes fluttered open. He stared at the space in front of him dazed until a pair of red crimson eyes came into view. He blinked and made a sound of surprise. Titling his head upwards, he stared at the face who was also staring at him with that pair of crimson eyes. The owner of the eyes was a little girl, who was beaming at him for unknown reason. She had auburn hair that reached her shoulder and she was wearing hospital gown. Given the girl's attire, it seemed that he really was in a hospital.

"Oh! Oh! Minato-chan is finally awake!" The girl exclaimed happily.

The little girl giggled to herself and gave him a wide smile. The girl's cheerful demeanor was infectious as he found himself smiling at her, even if he did wonder how the girl knew his name. The girl squealed loudly, she looked very happy. But then, the girl paused, titling her head slightly. She looked at him and her mouth formed a small 'o' shape.

"Wait a minute Minato-chan! Big sister will be back soon!" She said and ran out of the room.

Wait a minute, did he hear that right? The girl had called herself big sister even though he was fairly sure he was older than her. In fact, the girl seemed to know him even though he never saw her in his whole life.

'This must be the thing Ryoji was talking about. Well, some parallel worlds are a lot different than others. This may be one of them. ' He frowned as he looked at the white ceiling.

The sound of footsteps alerted him of the people approaching. Soon, the little girl came back with doctors in tow. The girl pointed at him excitedly while chattering to one of the doctor. The doctors, for some reason, looked shocked. He titled his head to look at them. The girl noticed and waved enthusiastically while one of the doctors gave a gasp. The girl approached him and pointed to the doctors.

"Don't worry lil' bro! Those kind doctors will only examine you for a bit. After that, we can finally go home!" she said.

As if on cue, the doctors started approaching them. One of them gently ushered the girl to the side. The auburn hair girl simply pouted but stayed silent. The only female doctor of the group checked his pulse while the other observed and scribbled something in their notebooks. One of them checked, what he assumed to be the monitor to his left (Minato wasn't sure since he couldn't turned to look).

"Impossible…" The one who checked the monitor murmured.

"This infant wasn't going to survive…" Another doctor added under his breath.

Minato turned his head toward the doctor. What did he say? He must've heard wrong.

"No." The female doctor said as she lifted Minato up gently. "This is must be God's interference! This is a miracle!"

It was at that moment Minato noticed how small he is compared to the doctor. She was practically carrying him with one arm as if he weighted nothing. He made a small sound of surprise and glanced around the room. The girl and the doctors were staring at him while smiling. A male doctor stepped forward and cooed at him which made Minato raised an eyebrow at the display. The doctor had acted as if he was a baby. Minato frowned as suspicions formed in his mind.

"Doctor, can I carry Minato-chan? Pretty please?" The auburn haired girl pleaded as she approached the female doctor.

"Sure sweetheart. Just be careful ok?" The doctor kneeled down in front of the girl.

"I promise to be careful!" She gave the doctor a salute which resulted in the doctor smiling.

Minato only had a moment to wonder how a small child like her could carry him before the woman handed him to the auburn haired girl. To his surprise, the girl did manage to carry him although she was struggling a bit. The doctor was watching the girl carefully, ready to intercept in case the girl dropped him. The little girl paid no attention to the doctor as she stared at him. Minato returned the stare. Suddenly, the girl leaned forward and kissed his forehead.

"Big sister will protect you, Minato-chan! I promise! Hamuko will never let anything harm you ever again!" She whispered.

Minato squirmed gently in the girl's arms, not used to the feeling. He was missing something, he realized. The way these people treated him was unnatural. They treated him like he was a fragile thing. Not to mention the way they managed to carry him easily. Even the girl, Hamuko managed to carry him and she also kept saying herself as his big sister. He had an idea and he really, really hoped the situation was not like the one his mind had managed to conjecture.

"Shh…" Hamuko whispered soothingly.

Minato looked at her as warmth filled him. Even if he didn't know the girl, it felt surprisingly good to have her comforting him. He smiled slightly in thanks to her. The girl's face immediately brightened and she hugged him tighter. While being hugged to death by the girl, he took the chance to look around. It was a typical hospital room, similar to the one he stayed when he fist summoned his Persona.

His eyes roamed around the interior until his gaze fell into the small mirror that was lying beside the bed. He strained his neck to see its reflection. He tried to move his arms, only to find it still bound. If only he could see the reflection then his suspicions would be confirmed. He twisted and turned violently, hoping the girl would somehow release him.

"What's wrong?" Hamuko asked as she followed his gaze to the mirror. She looked at it in confusion for a second before comprehension dawned on her. She moved toward the mirror and picked the mirror up while adjusting her hold on Minato. She held the mirror in front of Minato.

"This is called a mirror, Minato-chan. We can see ourselves with this!" She explained.

However, Minato wasn't listening to her. He was more preoccupied in staring at the mirror with horror. The suspicions he had been true. Everyone's attitude made sense know. Why hadn't he realized this before? He was so very dumb. The signs were right in front of him and yet he chose to ignore it. Now, ignorance would be impossible.

Big grey eyes stared at him. Messy dark blue hair framed his chubby face. A blanket was wrapped firmly around his tiny body. Minato closed his eyes, unable to bear the sight much further. A sound of disbelief escaped his lips.

The mirror had reflected a baby. And that baby was him.

* * *

><p>"What are you doing exactly?" Minato asked dubiously as he watched Ryoji pace around seemingly preparing something.<p>

"Please be quiet for a moment, Minato-kun." Ryoji replied without pausing even once in his pacing.

Minato stayed silent even though his mind was reeling with nothing but questions. There were so many things he wanted to ask however the blue haired teen knew not to bother Ryoji at the moment. Instead, he began to ponder on things which had become his recent hobby. Ruffling his hair, he let out a barely audible a sigh.

Things were becoming so hectic. At first, he thought that if Nyx was sealed, everything would be over. Everyone got their normal lives back and they were happy, even if it did cost his life. He didn't mind at all. His heart ached at the thought. Without him realizing, his heart had yearned for the warmth provided by his comrades. As a result, his emotions clashed against each other. The desire to protect his friends and his yearning couldn't coexist. The consequences of these were fatal, one that could possibly erase all of their hard work.

And he promised to fix it all.

Minato gaze travelled to Ryoji's as he watched him pace around. He let out a small smile when Ryoji tripped on his feet and grumbled but still continued his pacing. The black haired boy was a really unusual case. He had lent a hand instead of simply just leaving him alone. He would rather risk himself getting sealed forever than to get free. Guilt latched onto Minato as he frowned sadly.

"Right, this one should do nicely."Ryoji suddenly stopped his pacing and turned around to face Minato.

Unable to contain his curiosity any longer, Minato asked, "Ryoji, you haven't mentioned how you can travel to parallel worlds and what about Nyx?"

"Minato-kun, I'm the personification of Death. Death is inevitable, even in other worlds. I, as Death, can establish a link to those worlds. After selecting a suitable world, all I need to do left is transfer you there."Ryoji explained while Minato nodded slowly. "Of course, it's essential to find a body for you to reside in and you can only reside in your own parallel worlds bodies as other bodies would be incompatible."

"That's the reason why I can't go to my own world, correct?"

"That's right. The body of your own world is now completely unusable so it can't be used to contain your soul."Ryoji said solemnly. "With my limited power, I managed to find a suitable one, I think, one that might have the best chance in solving our dilemma."

"But, if I were to go to there, what would happen to Nyx? Earlier, you mentioned about already figured it out."Minato gazed at Ryoji questioningly.

"Oh that…"Ryoji's smile turned sheepish.

"Ryoji…"The guardian of the great seal trailed off ominously.

"I-It's not a lie when I said not to worry!" The avatar of Nyx added hastily. "It's just that having a seal is a must to contain Nyx. With you gone, there will be nothing stopping her from breaking free. So the seal and Nyx is like a set you see. You can't take one without disturbing the other. So what happens when the seal is gone? Well, the sealed has to follow in order not to destroy the balance. "

"In other words, you're planning to go with me."Minato summarized bluntly as he gazed at Ryoji blankly.

"Um yeah…with both of us gone, it'll be safer for this world. Of course, it's another story if you don't want me to go with you, I can find another way." Ryoji looked strangely down as he said this.

"Calm down Ryoji. I don't mind."Minato said as Ryoji paused hesitantly.

"Y-you don't?" The tension on the black haired teen's shoulder eased.

"Hey, it'll be like old days." Minato chuckled.

As the tension disappeared completely, Minato idly wondered if he was taking this a bit too lightly. A normal person would at least feel a little bit panicked or even overwhelmed. He assumed that the year he had spent as a leader of a group that had a high chance of dying made him firmer. At the thought, his heart ached briefly.

"Ok then, just before we go, there's something you should know, Minato-kun."Ryoji took a deep breath, "There are no second chances. We can't afford to let the seal weaken any further. If we fail this…"

_The seal will break and The Fall would come once again._

The unspoken statement was not unheard by Minato. He stared at Ryoji and with unwavering voice, he said, "I'm not going to fail."

Ryoji nodded and gave a small smile at the determined gaze Minato had.

"Here we go!" The avatar of Nyx suddenly said as the air grew thicker and thicker till it was near suffocating. Minato could feel his whole body becoming numb and his vision becoming blurry. Suddenly, he felt incredible pain within his chest. He clawed at his chest desperately hoping to lessen the pain, however the pain only intensified. Before losing consciousness, Minato weakly cursed Ryoji for not warning him first.

* * *

><p>That night, when everybody was asleep in the hospital, Minato stayed wide awake. Earlier, when the girl, Hamuko tried to stay with him through the night, he had made a big commotion by kicking and simply moving violently. He would've preferred asking them to leave politely but then he noticed that he couldn't even <em>speak<em>. Never will he voluntarily make those horrible noises again. Thank god, the doctors noticed his unusual behaviors and ushered Hamuko to her own room. After checking things were okay, the doctors themselves left, leaving baby Minato behind.

It was a good thing because Minato needed a time alone. He needed to process the information that he was a _baby_ with a _sibling_. Becoming a baby was definitely not the first thing that crossed his mind of what could happen upon entering other worlds. How was he supposed to befriend with his friends when he couldn't even utter a single word? Was he supposed to wait until he grew up and then go search for them? Did he even have enough time to do that? He also didn't know how to deal with Hamuko. He never had a sibling before.

'Why did you choose this world, Ryoji?' Minato thought unhappily.

Silence answered him. At that moment Minato realized that he hadn't heard from Ryoji at all during his short stay at this world. The now blue haired baby tried to call Ryoji out. But still, there were no responses.

Minato furrowed his eyebrows in confusion. Hadn't Ryoji said that he would be coming with him? If that was the case, where was Ryoji? The personification of death should be residing inside him right now (he was the seal thus the sealed should be inside him). But, why wasn't he responding? Had something happened? Or did he misunderstand Ryoji's meaning? Mentally face palming, Minato realized that he should've more thoroughly. As Minato was busy thinking, he didn't notice that the clock on the wall was pointing to 11.59 p.m.

When the clock pointed to 12 am, the surrounding area changed drastically. The machine beside his bed went dead, creepy green glow covered the area, and blood oozed out from random spots around the room.

At first, Minato didn't notice it. Until he found it weird that it was so silent, the constant beeping of the machine was absence. Imagine his surprise when he looked up only to find the Dark Hour happening. He looked around and even blinked thrice to make sure he wasn't imagining it.

'What the…' Minato stared around the room in shock.

Before he could ponder the meaning of it, the silence was broken by the sound of rushed footsteps. Minato snapped his head to the side and eyed the door warily as the noise grew louder and louder. The door opened with a loud bang. There, stood Hamuko who was breathing harshly and looking a bit pale. She quickly marched to his side and lifted him from the bed. She held him tightly and breathed a sigh of relief. Minato however, was stunned.

"I'll be here by your side until it's over." The auburn haired girl said to the stunned baby.

She put Minato back to his bed and carefully climbed the bed. She grabbed the blanket and put it over them both. As she laid herself comfortably on the bed, Minato finally snapped out of his surprised state. He stared intently at the girl beside her. Hamuko didn't notice as she was currently busy fighting of sleep. Being a girl as young as her, it was quite difficult to stay up so late, even if she had run to him from wherever she had been before.

Minato closed his eyes as the girl's quiet breathing filled the room. This world still had Dark Hour. It meant that Nyx hadn't been sealed yet (Did Ryoji disappearance had something to do with this?). Not to mention, this girl, his sibling in this world, was not in the coffin during The Dark Hour. She had a potential. Minato didn't know what to think.

However, there was still a lot more that Minato didn't know. He really shouldn't be jumping into conclusions yet. He shouldn't be too hasty especially with Ryoji missing.

He needed more information on this world. Just how much was the difference between these two worlds? However, his current body did not give him much freedom to investigate. In fact it'll probably be impossible. He would have to wait, Even if he wanted to look into the situation as soon as possible. He just hoped this was the right decision.

* * *

><p><strong>1 month later<strong>

It had been three weeks since they left the hospital to stay with one of their relatives. From the various conversations Minato managed to eavesdrop, he learned that their (Hamuko and Minato) parents died in a car accident. The situation was similar to Minato's own past. The guardians they were staying with were also the same as Minato's in the past. Although he hadn't had the chance to confirm it yet, the ex-teen had a feeling that they were no longer in the year 2010.

"Minato-channn!" Hamuko wiggled a small stuffed toy in front of him.

Minato stared at the toy blankly. He held back the urge to sigh, instead he forced his lips to smile brightly. He raised his chubby and short hands towards the stuffed toy. He babbled nonsense while looking at the toy expectantly. The seven years old girl beamed at him and handed him the toy.

Minato gave a sigh of relief as he gripped the toy, not wanting to let it go. He did not enjoy doing this kind of acting. Usually, when other adults tried to play with him, he'd just ignore them. Yet, this girl's heartbroken expression when he rejected her was heartbreaking. Somehow, Hamuko reminded Minato of Maiko, the elementary school girl he used to play with. Minato couldn't bear to see the girl's sad expression so he often find himself entertaining the girl. Never mind the embarrassing things he had to do.

There was something that bothered Minato though. Hamuko was extremely attached to Minato. For this past month, she almost wouldn't leave his side. The times when they did separate were rare. Even then, it wouldn't be more than a few meters. It was almost as if the girl was afraid of him disappearing as soon as she averted her sight.

Minato couldn't blame the girl though. She had just lost her parents in a car accident that may or may not be related to the Shadows (if the event that happened were the same as his own). The sudden lost probably caused a trauma. She most likely stayed close to him to seek comfort. Not that Minato minded, he was actually quite grateful for the company (he just didn't like the playing part). It helped him from feeling bored and from thinking too much. He had been thinking so much that he had been getting minor headaches.

Minato clutched the toy as he listened to Hamuko's ramble about why Orange was the best. Most might find it annoying but for Minato it was relaxing. He felt his eyes drooping and he yawned. Soon he fell asleep while still listening to Hamuko talking.

There was still no news from Ryoji.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Hey guys :D I'm so sorry for the late update DX I'm naturally a slow writer and my computer's monitor broke last week, so I couldn't type anything. I'll try to update sooner and try to make it longer! **

**Anyway, thank you for the reviews and follows and favorites! It really made my day! **

**Special thanks 2: Ulquii-sama again~! (^0^)/**

**Last but not least, please REVIEW when you're done! WHOOP!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Eternal Bonds **

**Chapter 3**

"Hamuko dear, have you woken up yet? It's time for breakfast."

Both Hamuko and Minato stirred at their aunt's voice. Hamuko slowly sat up and yawned, stretching her arms lazily while Minato just blinked dazedly at the sudden light that decided to suddenly attack his line of vision. It was apparent that their aunt had turned on the light and pulled the curtains back, leaving the window in plain view. From what Minato can see from his position, the sun was already rising to the sky.

"M'kay." Hamuko nodded sleepily.

Their aunt smiled slightly and went around the bed to silently pick Minato up. She held him carefully and walked to the door. Before leaving the room, the woman turned her head slightly and chuckled at the little girl's expression. Minato, who also saw the expression, sighed.

Hamuko huffed and got off the bed she and Minato shared. With her previous drowsiness gone, she quickly made the bed. Before a minute was up, she was done. Glancing around the room, she picked up a stuffed toy from the ground and left their shared room. She quickly rushed down the stairs and towards the kitchen, where all the residents of the house were currently at.

"You didn't have to take Minato away, Auntie!" The girl said as she sat next to the baby with an annoyed expression. She then turned to Minato and gently handed him the toy she brought.

"Hamuko-chan, we've already discussed this. I only took Minato to wash his face before breakfast."

"But-" Hamuko's protest was cut short by the arrival of her Uncle.

"Good morning." Their uncle greeted while taking a seat at the head of the table.

"Morning…"Hamuko greeted back silently. She glanced at her aunt and leaned back to her chair wordlessly, her previous protests gone. After all, their uncle hated arguments with a passion especially useless ones, and if he saw them arguing over such a tiny 'problem' then both of them would get a scolding, wife or not. She definitely didn't want a repeat of the first day it happened, even if she thinks that their aunt should definitely stop taking Minato away from her without her permission.

Minato, who saw the whole thing, just shook his head. Even though it happened for so many times already, the little girl still kicked a fuss about. She really didn't want the blue haired baby to leave her sight, even if it was only for a minute.

After putting the food on the table, their aunt went to get a baby bottle. She filled the bottle with powdered milk and put it in front of Minato. She left the task of feeding Minato to Hamuko, as the girl wouldn't let anyone but herself to feed Minato.

As they were eating, Minato couldn't help but notice the nervous glances their aunt and uncle had been shooting to Hamuko. The blue haired baby could tell from their expressions that they wanted to say something, but something was holding the back. As he leisurely sucked the bottle, he continued to observe their behavior.

Finally, as if they couldn't take it anymore, his uncle cleared his throat, drawing Hamuko's attention.

"Hamuko…there's something that we want to tell you."Their uncle began.

"What is it Uncle?" Hamuko asked questionably.

"Well, it's this,Hamuko-chan, you've been out of school for quite long now. We figured that it's time for you to go to school again. We wouldn't want you to fall behind." Their aunt said, giving Hamuko a nervous smile.

"School?" The girl titled her head slightly.

The couple nodded and waited for the reply. Minato knew just exactly what made the couple so nervous. The so called 'attachment' that Hamuko openly displayed to Minato didn't go unnoticed. The baby could guess that the couple was worried that the girl would reject as going to school would meant separating her from her beloved little brother. Even he knew that the chance of her agreeing was very slim, given her current behavior.

"I don't want to go to school, I can't go." Hamuko murmured softly. Their aunt gave a slight troubled smile and opened her mouth to convince the girl when Hamuko continued.

"But, Papa and Mama always said that school is important."

"Oh…Hamuko-chan…" Their aunt looked at Hamuko with watery eyes. Her sister really taught her children well.

Minato glanced sadly at the auburn haired girl. This was the first since he came here that the girl mentioned her parents. He knew how bad it was to suddenly lose your beloved ones for he too had experienced it long ago, with his own parents. Although the girl didn't show any change in her outward demeanor, you shouldn't judge the book by its cover.

Unexpectedly, the girl turned to him, startling him tremendously.

"Hey, Minato-chan…"She whispered to him, "What do you think I should do?"

Their aunt and uncle glanced at each other, having heard her whispering (They were in a small closed space and were quite near each other, so they could hear what she was whispering about, besides she wasn't doing a very good job at it either). They both looked at Minato who had long finished his bottle and gave a confused smile.

"Hamuko dear, Minato is too young to understand all of this yet." Their aunt attempted to reason with her young charge.

Still, Hamuko's crimson eyes never wavered from Minato's own gray eyes. For a while, Minato was baffled. She was waiting for an answer from Minato, who was thought as a baby by others, but not this girl, she looked into his eyes, believing that her brother would understand her words, baby or not. Fortunately for her, Minato was no ordinary baby and he knew that there was nothing ordinary about the way she put her trust in him so much that she expected a child of few months to understand all her words. This girl, he realized, was unique, really unique. Whether it was good or bad, he didn't know yet.

For the time being however, he nodded at her. Going to school was really important, he knew that firsthand. It was there that Minato experienced everything, from friendship to love, happiness to sadness, satisfaction to disappointment. It would really be a shame if the young girl missed all of this. Sure, he was grateful for the company but he was an adult (even if his body said otherwise), he could deal with it.

"You want me to go to school? But then you'll be all alone." Hamuko said sadly, somehow getting the message just by seeing Minato nod.

Well, it was heartwarming to see her so worried about his welfare, but he can take care of himself (never underestimate babies), after all he managed to take care of himself during all those years when his guardians were busy. The little girl really shouldn't be that worried, she really should think about herself more. With that in mind, Minato gave a, what he hoped was reassuring (toothless) smile to Hamuko.

"Ah…" Hamuko furrowed her eyebrows, looking frustrated but eventually she pouted and turned to their aunt and uncle who stayed silent during the whole process.

"I'll go to school." She said.

"That's great Hamuko-chan!" Their aunt was evidently thrilled with her niece's decision.

Minato listened as the couple informed the girl of the things she needed to know. Occasionally, the girl would glance at Minato but it only lasted a second before turning back to listen. As she continued to listen, her expression became curious and when the couple finished, she was looking visibly excited to go to school.

'That's good but I'm still hungry,' Minato absentmindedly thought.

* * *

><p>"Hamuko, it's time to go." Uncle said as he took the car keys.<p>

"Just a second!"Hamuko shouted as she turned to grab her new school bag.

The last few days had been hectic in the household. With Hamuko being enrolled to an elementary school, Minato hadn't had much of her company. Instead, he was often left alone in the cradle with only some toys to accompany him. He didn't mind. At least he didn't have to make baby noises anymore. Of course, he didn't just spend the days sleeping. The ex-teen was determined to re-learn how to speak. It was easier said than done.

"Bye-bye, Minato-chan! I'm going to school now! I'm going to miss you so much," she muttered as she kissed the baby's forehead.

Minato tried not to frown as he lightly touched his wet forehead. It failed. Nevertheless, the girl giggled and walked out of the living room with one last look. Soon, the sound of car starting can be heard. Then, the sound grew smaller and smaller until it disappeared completely.

Left alone in the cradle, Minato decided to continue his effort in speaking, which again ended up in failure. Just when he was about to start his 4th try, his aunt walked in. Aunt gave a grin and picked him up while making cooing noises. The baby didn't want to be rude so he gave a slight smile to her. The middle-aged woman squealed silently and carried him out of the room.

This was new. Before, the woman would just left him in the cradle with just some occasional trip to check his situation and feed him. Minato looked around curiously. Wow, all of it was just so nostalgic. Thinking back, he hadn't really visited the couple ever since he moved. Now, he felt bad.

Just as they passed the corridor, the calendar hanging on the wall caught his attention. Minato triple checked the date and inflicted pain to his arm just to make sure he wasn't hallucinating. The blue haired baby groaned, wanting nothing else but bang his head on the said wall.

He was ten years in the past.

He might have had some suspicions about it, but having it confirmed didn't make him feel better. Minato wanted nothing more than to strangle Ryoji and demand a full explanation. He was getting sick of all these questions that's been plaguing him mind for these past few months. This discovery just added the growing lists of things to ask. Not to mention, Ryoji whereabouts was still unknown. It would be a lie if Minato said that he was not worried.

'Note to self: Strangle Ryoji first before asking him questions."

Apparently his groans didn't go unnoticed. Aunt shifted her hold and patted his shoulder in comforting manner. Minato relaxed and let the comforting words wash over him.

"I don't know what made you so worked up. You're usually such a quiet baby, Minato-chan." Aunt said as she continued walking.

"I wonder if this is because Hamuko-chan's not here. Do you miss her? You siblings are so close. It's adorable, "Aunt squealed happily.

Before long they arrived at their destination, a mini market. It seemed that, Aunt had run out of baby powder and had to buy while bringing Minato along as leaving a baby alone was dangerous. Minato thought that this was a good time to convince aunt to change the powder's brand. It tasted awful.

"AH! NUU!" Minato cried. _Not that one_

"You don't like this one, Minato-chan? What about this?"

"UM!" Minato nodded and silently cheered as Aunt placed it in the cart.

Goodbye yucky and hello delicious.

* * *

><p>Hamuko didn't go to school after that first day. She had threw her bag and rushed for Minato when she came home. She didn't move until it was time for dinner. Minato overheard Uncle telling Aunt that she couldn't adapt to the class and she had constantly ask to be let home earlier so she could check on her younger brother.<p>

"I-I can't do it, Minato-chan." Hamuko confessed one night.

"I just couldn't focus! I keep thinking about you. What if something happens when I'm still at school enjoying myself? What if I couldn't see you anymore? Even if it's only a few hours, I just can't stop worrying that something might happen!" The girl sobbed.

"Uncle looked so disappointed with me. Minato-chan, what should I do?"

Minato listened to her and his eyes softened. The girl had gone through so much in such a small amount of time. Maybe, it really was still too early for her. He really shouldn't have pushed her to go to school. However, instead of chastising himself for his mistake (he can do it later); Minato tapped his chubby hands on Hamuko's leg.

"Hamuko!" Those attempts in speaking hadn't been a waste of time, Minato might not yet learn how to speak in sentences, but he can still manage one simple word. Though, this was the first time he tried it in front of others.

"Huh?" Hamuko looked at him in shock.

"Hamuko!" Minato repeated.

"M-minato-chan, did you just-? OH MY GOD!" Hamuko squealed at the top of her lungs.

Hamuko scooped him from the floor and proceeded to hug him tightly. Usually, Minato be annoyed but this time he let it pass.

"Say my name again Minato-chan!"

Minato didn't say her name again. Instead, he patted the girl's head and wiped her tears.

"It's Okeey. Okeey." He still needed to work on that but at least he got the message across.

The only response the ex-teen got was her tears.

The next day, Hamuko went to school. She still came home looking a bit shaken up, but it wasn't as bad as the first time.

It was a small improvement at least.

* * *

><p>Their relationship had a slight change after that incident. Hamuko no longer got mad when people took her baby brother from her. Though, she still got worried when he's gone for more than a few hours. She also developed a tendency to pay special attention whenever Minato talked now. This behavior reminded Minato of SEES when they're talking about various strategies to defeat shadows.<p>

Minato himself was determined to help Hamuko overcome her trauma issues. Originally, Minato just thought of her as the unexpected but nice sibling. But now, having warmed up to her a bit, he wanted to help her. This decision was also influenced by the fact that he wanted to apologize for his mistake. Well, Minato didn't have the slightest clue how to get rid of traumas but he'd definitely do it.

Thus, this was why he decided that spending a few hours with her sister everyday was a good start.

"Why is this so hard?" Hamuko grumbled as she stared at her math homework.

Minato looked at her, debating whether he should help or not. In the end, he stood up from where he had been lying and wobbled to the auburn haired girl. Minato had spent a month on crawling and went straight to walking. His guardians and sibling made a big commotion when it happened, but Minato didn't care as he just wanted to walk. Lying down for almost a year tend to get boring.

"Oh hey, Minato-chan, what's up? Are you hungry?" Hamuko pushed aside her homework.

"No. What is that?" Minato feigned ignorance for his sister's sake. His speech had gotten better and better. There's still some mistakes here and there but he'd probably didn't have to worry about it much longer.

"My math homework, Minato-chan," Hamuko smiled.

"Oh, Interesting. Let's do it together!" Minato grabbed the book and opened it. As he expected, it was just simple calculations.

"Ugh. Sure." Not being able to refuse her little brother, Hamuko nodded.

The blue haired baby didn't tell the answers outright of course. He gave little hints and subtle noises when the girl made a mistake. The auburn haired girl didn't even question how her baby brother knew all of these. Though Minato was appreciative, he couldn't help but question her state of mind.

"Done!" Hamuko proudly announced with a wide grin firmly fixed on her face.

After that, with Minato in Hamuko's arm, they went to ask something to eat as a reward.

* * *

><p>When Minato was 3 years old and Hamuko 10 years old, they moved from their current residence. It was because of economic difficulties. Their uncle's company had gone bankrupt. Now jobless, uncle couldn't afford a family of four. As a result, the siblings were given to other relatives who can take care of them. It wasn't an easy decision to make. After all, they had spent years together. Nevertheless, with heavy hearts, they were sent away.<p>

Sitting in the car with a few luggages in the back and their new guardian driving, the siblings watched as their home for three years disappear. Shifting his gaze from the window, Minato watched his sister. She hadn't talked much since their departure. The news had hit her hard. Minato sympathized with her, though he himself wasn't affected much as he had known that it would happen.

Minato reached for Hamuko's hand and squeezed it, a silent gesture of comfort. He smiled when the girl returned the gesture. They stayed like that for the rest of the ride.

"We're here, guys," Their new guardian said as she opened the door car for them.

The siblings got out of the car and followed from behind. Their guardian was a woman in late twenties, apparently their father's cousin. She lived in a small apartment with two rooms, one kitchen, one living room and one bathroom.

"You siblings are to share a room. Are there any objections?"

"N-No," Hamuko stuttered.

"Good. There are some rules I expect you to obey if you want to live here. I'll give a paper containing them tomorrow, be sure to memorize them. Rule breakers will be punished, no exceptions."

Both siblings nodded and Hamuko raised a timid hand.

"Um…what should we call you?" She asked.

"Excellent question Hamuko. You can call me Misaki, my occupation is that of a sales manager. That's enough about me. Let's unpack your things and have dinner in the restaurant across the street."

Misaki and Hamuko walked toward the new room with both hands full of luggage. Minato, being deemed too young to help were told to stay in the living room to wait for them. He followed the order obediently.

Minato remembered Misaki. He knew that behind the stern façade she had shown them, she was actually kind-hearted and loved children very much. Minato had remembered her very well as she was the one who gave him his first mp3, his love. His time with her was quite memorable.

Leaning his tired body against the couch in the living room, Minato closed his eyes and quickly fell asleep.

"…**Minato-kun…" **

As a result, Minato never heard the whisper of his name from his friend, Ryoji.

* * *

><p>"Be good, Minato-kun." Misaki said as she patted his head.<p>

Minato nodded and watched as she left him with a caretaker. With no one to take care of him during the daytime, Misaki had to register him to a nearby daycare and had to stay there until Hamuko came to pick him up. As it can't be helped, the siblings didn't have any objection.

"Minato-kun, come and play with other kids," The caretaker said as he gently guided the blue haired child.

Minato didn't have the intention to play instead he declined politely and went to the nearby bookshelf to pick a book to read. The caretaker looked at him questionably for a while before another child demanded his attention. The ex-teen shrugged and went back to the children book. That was where he spent the entire day.

A few months after, Minato earned a reputation in the daycare. He was dubbed as an exceptionally mature child with his polite manners and charming personality. The only downside was that he didn't seem to have any friends. It made the caretakers worried but most of them just thought that he was just shy around others.

It was one day during his stay at the daycare, when it happened.

One of the younger children in the daycare lost his balance and fell. It resulted the ball he was holding to drop and roll onto the street. The child got up and chased the ball, not paying any attention to the approaching motorcycle. Minato, the only one who seemed to be paying attention to the boy, tossed his book aside and ran after the boy.

His action alerted the caretakers however they couldn't comprehend the situation quickly enough to help. In the end, Minato grabbed the boy's hand and pulled him out of the way. But he himself couldn't get away in time. Unable to stop himself, he cursed.

As quickly as he can, Minato shifted to a position he thought to be the safest and just in time as the motorcycle hit him. Pain bloomed everywhere. Red and black spots began to cloud his vision. Dimly, he heard someone shouting and a child's crying.

'_Don't cry, I'm alright,'_ the ex-teen tried to say, nonetheless all that managed to get out was a croak.

Afterward, as the pain was incredibly painful for his young body, Minato blacked out.

"…**Minato-kun…"**

* * *

><p>His eyes fluttered open and a groan escaped his lips as he sat up. Rubbing his aching head, Minato grumbled, not feeling quite awake yet. Blinking a few more time, he lifted his head to glance around only to quickly shut his eyes when he was assaulted by the blinding white color.<p>

'Am I in a hospital?' Minato thought.

Opening his eyes slower this time, the sight he got made him pause. His legs looked different from usual. It looked longer and bigger. Various thoughts formed in his head. Was he hallucinating? Was it the effect of the collision? To make sure, he attempted to touch his legs, only to have his attention shifted towards his hand and arm.

"What the…"Minato gasped in surprise.

He felt and pulled and pinched his legs, arms and finally his face. Concluding that he couldn't be hallucinating, Minato almost couldn't believe it; he no longer had a child's body. In fact, he probably had his old body, when he was seventeen years old.

Feeling extremely puzzled by this discovery, Minato glanced around. To his utter surprise, he was in a room devoid of anything except for the two chairs in the middle. On one of the chair sat a figure he had long to see for awhile now.

"Ryoji!" Minato called out.

"Oh, Minato-kun! It's been a long time!" Ryoji waved his hands.

Minato walked toward Ryoji and without delay smacked his head.

"Ouch…uh?"

"You disappeared as soon as I arrived at that world. No matter how much I called or what I do, you never showed up. Leaving me alone like that," Minato asked his voice as cold as ice. "Do you know how worried I was?"

"Minato-kun…"

"…What happened?"

Ryoji sighed and gestured to the chairs.

"Let's sit first. It's a long story."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Hey guys! Sorry for the delay. In my country had been banned but thank god it's back after almost a year. So, I edited chapter 1 and 2 a bit. I also want to tell you guys that the story may contain a few inaccuracies since it's been so long since I play persona. So my memories are a bit hazy. Don't be afraid to point it out though.<strong>

** Feel free to ask questions if you don't understand! I'll try to update soon, no guarantees though. This chapter has a lot of breaks, I apologize. Next time, I'll try to reduce it. Well that's all, leave some reviews to let me know what you think and good bye, have a nice day!**


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